Île-de-France, first quarter of the 14th century

Possibly from the former Cistercian abbey of Notre-Dame de la Cour-Dieu (Ingrannes, Loiret), dismantled and sold during the Revolution;

Formerly in the collection of Louis de Poortere (1884–1966), Belgium;

Art holdings of the company Louis de Poortere, Belgium;

Acquired from the latter in 2003, private collection, Belgium.

Louis Jarry, Histoire de l'Abbaye de la Cour Dieu, ordre de Cîteaux, diocèse d'Orléans: 1118-1793, Herluison libraire-éditeur, 1864;

Les Fastes du Gothique, le siècle de Charles V, exhibition catalogue, Grand Palais, Paris, 1981, pp. 89-91.

This majestic Virgin and Child, much larger than the examples usually found on the art market, shows stricking similarities with other examples attributed to the Parisian workshops from the second quarter of the 14th century. The elongated silhouette and general posture of the Virgin, her face turned towards the Child, her body forming a slight contrapposto with her right leg bent, are comparable to the prototype of the Virgin and Child of Bouée (Loire-Atlantique), and those of Lévis-Saint-Nom (Yvelines) and Tœufles (Somme). The perfectly oval shape of the Virgin’s face, the gentle softness of her features, the tall crown on her head (now missing its fleurons), her wavy hair flowing freely from beneath her veil, and the deep folds of her dress and cloak are all features characteristic of Parisian workshops. Less common details on this example allow us to draw some more specific parallels. For example, the tender gesture of the Virgin's open right hand, on which the Child's left foot rests, can be found on two examples in the Val-d'Oise, in the parish churches of Ennery and Montigny-lès-Cormeilles. Similarly, the Child's right hand grasping one side of his mother's veil is a touching detail that can be found on an example of similar size in Prunay-sur-Essonne. We understand from the composition that the other side of the Virgin's veil, which seems to be pulled to the right instead of falling naturally, must also have been held by the Child's now missing left hand. This last detail is similar to the composition of the Virgin and Child in Courtomer (Seine-et-Marne). Finally, all of these iconographic features can also be observed in the Virgin and Child from the parish church of Labbeville (Val-d’Oise), where only the movement of the lower part of the Virgin’s body is reversed—making it the closest parallel to the present example.

In the first half of the 20th century, when the present Virgin and Child belonged to the collection of the Kortrijk textile industrialist Louis de Poortere, it was thought to have originated from the former abbey of La Cour-Dieu. Although no conclusive evidence confirming this provenance has come to light, the hypothesis remains plausible.

The wealthy Cistercian abbey of Notre-Dame de La Cour-Dieu was founded in 1119 in the heart of the forest of Orléans. Placed under the protection of the kings of France and graced with visits from Saint Louis (1256), Charles IV the Fair (1322), and Philip VI (1342), it flourished until the late 14th century, before suffering successive waves of destruction during the Wars of Religion and later the Revolution. In 1791, the deconsecrated abbey and its contents—by then national property—were sold to Mr. Gentil, an unscrupulous speculator and leader of the so-called Bande Noire. Most of the buildings were demolished, and the stones resold. Sold again in 1793, the site underwent further devastation, marking the final dispersal of its movable heritage. The ruins of La Cour-Dieu later inspired Romantic artists before being partially rebuilt by Félix Desbois during the height of the Neo-Gothic revival. The estate subsequently changed hands several times, serving in turn as a farm and a motorcycle factory. The site was finally listed as a Historic Monument in 2012. Among the best-known masterpieces from La Cour-Dieu is the marble Virgin and Child in the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans, attributed to André Beauneveu (c. 1335–1400) (inv. A.153; height 170 cm).

It is also worth noting that the library of Carlo de Poortere (1917–2002), son of Louis and a renowned bibliophile, was sold by Sotheby’s in Paris on 6 November 2014.

RELATED LITERATURE

Les Fastes du Gothique, le siècle de Charles V, exh. cat. Grand Palais, Paris, 1981, pp. 89-91.